Brisbane has rapidly emerged as an influential leader in the Asia Pacific and a highly desirable place to do business. The city’s growing global recognition was accelerated by its highly successful staging of the 2014 G20 World Leaders Summit. Capitalising on its enhanced international reputation, Brisbane is shaping itself as a vibrant hub and world leader attracting industry sectors that are globally scalable in the new world economy.

New investment helps to establish Brisbane as a global hub for competitively advantageous industries. Brisbane’s strong growth prospects can be leveraged to attract new investment to the city, even during a time when global investment trends are weak.

Specific advantages linked to Brisbane include:
 competitively positioning Brisbane within Asia as a global centre of excellence for mining and energy technologies
 a desirable location to support fly-in fly-out operations
 significant and growing capacity in innovative manufacturing, ICT, design, creative industries, biomedical, education, research, food manufacturing, clean technologies, aviation and logistics
 large and continuing infrastructure investments  a single council looking after most of the
capital city economy
 a world class air and sea port located close to the city, with capacity to accommodate new industrial developments within the precinct at Australia TradeCoast.

The northernmost part of the state, Far North Queensland is a tropical region stretching from Cairns to the Torres Strait. With the magnificent coral of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast and World Heritage listed tropical rainforests on the land, there are not many locations in the world that can boast such unique natural attractions within easy reach.

Australia’s Fashion, Textile and Uniform Industry (commonly and hereafter referred to as the ‘fashion industry’) is widely misunderstood outside the industry itself, but is an integral part of Australian culture, society and economy.

It sits at the heart of a critical and multi-layered ecosystem that incorporates complex business models across education, workforce management, primary industries, design, product development, manufacturing, technology, supply chains, marketing, wholesale, retail, export, tourism, waste management, circularity and more.

It spans a complex ecosystem of raw material producers, design, manufacturing, retailing and educational activities and has a presence in every high street and major retail centre in the country.

It is also one of Australia’s true female-led industries, from shop floors, design studios and C-Suites, with women representing 77% of the industry workforce.

Current exports by the Australian fashion and textile industry are more than double the exports of wine and beer

Far North Queensland faces a unique set of challenges in delivering cost effective and sustainable waste services. Considering the region’s two World Heritage listed areas (Wet Tropics and the Great Barrier Reef) those challenges can vary significantly from one council to the next.

All councils in the region struggle with issues such as access to secondary markets and transport costs, and the increasing costs and difficulties in developing new waste infrastructure

Drought hubs empower stakeholders to co-design drought preparedness activities and apply innovation to ensure a thriving future for the region. Hub members, partners and stakeholders apply proven drought-resilience research on the ground to make this happen.

The hub will improve innovation and its adoption across agriculture, industry, and the community.

The 8 hubs support farmers and communities to get ready for drought. They connect farmers with regional agricultural experts, innovation and new practices.

A Knowledge Broker is available at each hub. Their role is to translate science into practice for their region. They use their network to encourage collaboration and learning across the hubs. They also help build connections with other Future Drought Fund programs.

Wine and associated industries, livestock, grain, pulses and horticulture, plus tourism are the main industries in the region.

The Barossa is a world-class region of fine wine endeavour based on a unique story of generations, inheritance and hallowed ground. The Barossa is a home to some of the oldest Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Semillon vineyards in the world.

The Barossa Region is SA’s food and wine tourism flagship well supported by trails for cycling, walking and riding. Colonial heritage and culinary traditions inspired by early settlers are alive and well, and modern reinventions have sparkled interest in cultural food experiences including cooking schools, artisan products, farmers markets and restaurants.

Three major contributors to the Region`s agricultural output are broadacre cropping, livestock and fruit production.

The Barossa Region has a rich cultural and historical affinity with horses and a strong growing industry. The Barossa Region is home to a state-of-the art Equine Health and Performance Centre situated in the Roseworthy Campus of the University of Adelaide.

Government investment in Lot Fourteen is expected to catalyse further private sector investment in Edinburgh Defence Precinct, Technology Park Adelaide/Mawson Lakes, Osborne Naval Shipyard, Tonsley Innovation District and The Waite Research Precinct.

The Osborne Naval Shipyard will deliver Australia’s Future Frigates and Future Submarines programs, other major naval projects, and hosts some of Australia’s leading maritime companies. South Australia has its roots in the construction, upgrade, full-cycle docking and life-of-type extension of the Collins class submarine, the construction and delivery of three Hobart class Air Warfare Destroyers, the continuous build of major warships, including two Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessels, nine Hunter class frigates and a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines that will be built at the Osborne Naval Shipyard.

Edinburgh is the home of RAAF Base Edinburgh, Defence Science and Technology and major defence companies, with major capabilities in research, development and manufacturing.

RAAF Base Edinburgh is the home of P-8A Poseidon aircraft, Triton unmanned aircraft system, special purpose electronic warfare aircraft, the Jindalee Operational Radar Network and space surveillance systems.

Toowoomba and its surrounding regions which include the Maranoa, Western Downs, Southern Downs, Goondiwindi, Burnett and Moree regions, is a food producing powerhouse for Australia.

The food capability of these council areas is driven by the diversity of fresh and value added products grown and produced in these locations.

Key agricultural outputs for this catchment include cotton, grain, beef, pork, poultry, dairy and fruit and vegetables. Aiding the regions food capability are the regions' research facilities, including the University of Southern Queensland’s Institute for Agriculture and the Environment which focuses on developing solutions for a sustainable and profitable future for the rural sector.

With over 400km of pristine coastline as well as vast national and state parks, the NSW south coast is the third most visited region in NSW, attracting 4.9 million visitors (excluding figures for Jervis Bay).

This equates to 12.3% of total visits made within NSW making the Far South Coast one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations. This annual visitation is a balanced division between day-trippers and overnight visitors.

Over 70,000 international visitors travel to the Far South Coast region each year.

Much of the RDA Murray Regions’ economy is driven by agriculture, timber production, viticulture, horticulture, health care, retail, manufacturing, construction and tourism.

Of critical importance to the RDA Murray Region is water availability. The Region is situated on the Murray River and is reliant on the river system for its contribution to production, tourism and liveability.

The Australian nut industry is experiencing its largest expansion in a decade with the farm gate value expected to rise from $1billion in 2018 to $1.7 by 2025. Permanent nut tree infrastructure (including irrigation) and plantings are expanding significantly in the Murray Region

Adelaide is consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities, where visitors and locals alike can immerse themselves in a range of year-round festivals and events.

The recent growth of the state’s defence sector combined with exciting developments in space, big data, machine learning, advanced manufacturing, and creative industries, means that Adelaide has the potential to become a leader in Australia’s innovation, cultural and tourism economies.

The economy of the Greater Whitsunday region offers diverse investment opportunities with a proven track record for growth and prosperity. The Isaac region is home to the Bowen Basin, housing the largest coal mining deposits in Australia. Most of Queensland’s prime coking coal reserves are mined here, including the highest-grade metallurgical coal in the world.

Mackay is the centre of one of Australia’s most developed Mining, Equipment, Technology and Service (METS) industries and has enormous bio-futures potential. The Whitsundays is not only a world-class tourism destination, attracting more than a million visitors annually, but is a highly developed food producing region with sugar cane, horticulture and aquaculture.

In an Australian first, The City is also creating an advanced Innovation Hub for the blue economy to test and develop new marine practices and technologies that could help sustain vibrant blue economies across the globe.

Our research forecasts an exponential growth in Cockburn’s defence sector over the next decade.

Like many industries, there is a genuine skills gap within the defence sector, and it’s expected to grow as demand does. Without hubs like the one we’re proposing, this will only become a bigger issue.
Joining us in the world-class Innovation Hub will be researchers collaborating across four major universities. Specialised registered training organisations will provide training and upskilling, while PhD students from UWA will deliver research opportunities and help bring products to market. Finally, equity investor group Perth Angels and not-for-profits Business Station and Business Foundations are also onboard with a focus on providing business advisory support.

Up to 40 Blue Economy businesses will be guided to bring their ideas into commercial reality, with access to services which will build capacity and capability.

As an advanced research hub for the Blue Economy, Cockburn will test and develop new marine practices and technology.
This Innovation Hub was designed to help the City of Cockburn grow local jobs, all of which will increase the wellbeing and quality of life for our communities.

The Far North Queensland region is centred on the coastal city of Cairns. The region includes Daintree and Mossman to the north, Innisfail to the south and the Atherton Tablelands to the west. It contains a number of world heritage-listed areas, including the iconic Great Barrier Reef, and the Wet Tropics and Daintree rainforests, which are major world biodiversity hotspots and significant international tourist destinations.

Protecting the world’s largest living structure (the Great Barrier Reef) and the oldest continuously surviving rainforests (the Wet Tropics) – as well as the other spectacular natural areas in the region – is a huge challenge and needs resources.

These World Heritage Areas are important to Australians and global citizens alike so we also need people outside the region to join and support us in giving voice to the local community members who speak and act for these globally-recognised natural wonders.

The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens 160 km north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolga, 562 km north of Sydney, a distance of roughly 400 km. It also includes the World Heritage Area of Lord Howe Island, about 600km east of Port Macquarie.

The Mid North Coast lies between the Great Divide and the east coast. The landscape is typified by winding rivers that feed lush hinterland, and over one hundred kilometres of pristine beaches. It benefits from a high rainfall and is considered by many to have the most ideal climate in Australia. Taree, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie.

Over the last twenty years the NSW Mid North Coast Region has evolved from a coastal retirement and tourist destination with a significant agricultural base - forestry, fishing and farming to a region with a diversified service- based economy.

The Great Southern is Western Australia’s southernmost region, bordered by the Southern Ocean where the coast stretches for approximately 250 kilometres. Spanning over 39,007 square kilometres, the region represents 1.5% of Western Australia’s total land mass and extends inland for 200 kilometres.

Deemed as one of the most liveable regions in WA, the Great Southern is renowned for its unspoilt natural environment including white sand beaches, tall timber forests, wildflowers and a spectacular rugged coastline complete with whales, dolphins and other marine life, the region has an inspiring and diverse tourism offering.

The Great Southern region is known for its primary production, natural and harvested fishing, aquaculture, award winning vineyards, fine food and wine culture, ecotourism and natural attractions.

The City of Albany, the State’s oldest European settlement (settled in 1826) is the region’s administrative, business and financial hub.

North Queensland has long been a base for various major industries, including mineral processing, sugar mills, beef processing and concrete batching plants.
Industries considered for the region include sea, air, rail and road-dependent industrial uses such as manufacturing (chemicals and metals production), minerals processing, food processing, intermodal freight and logistics and bulk storage.

The region is home to key defence bases including Lavarack Barracks (one of Australia’s largest), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Townsville (co-located with Townsville Airport) and the Ross Island Barracks. The Port of Townsville also supports naval operations for both Australia and foreign vessels.

Townsville is the base for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Sciences, Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef studies, TropWATER, CSIRO and ReefHQ aquarium.

The Wheatbelt is so called because of its extensive agricultural industry. The region is the primary producer of cereal crops in the state and contributes other agricultural products such as canola, olives, vegetables, wine grapes, honey, citrus fruits and livestock.

Whilst agriculture remains the dominant industry, the economy of the region is also supported by mining, commerce, retail, manufacturing, fishing and tourism.

The natural and cultural attributes of the region make it extremely versatile in tourism service and product offerings.

Support for local government, business and communities is required to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the regional, state, national and international tourist sectors. A collaboration model across 42 shires is required.

A ‘Wander the Wheatbelt’ online platform is being investigated with short term opportunities to boost tourism.

Gippsland offers a variety of natural attractions like nowhere else in Victoria. From rugged alpine mountain ranges, historic rural towns to pristine beaches, Gippsland is a diverse place attracting local and international visitors all year around.

The tourism industry in Gippsland is an important contributor to the region’s economy, worth $2.4 billion in direct and indirect expenditure per annum. Gippsland has outperformed regional Victoria for domestic and international visitation percentage growth, with 10.8 million visitors to the region annually. The visitor economy supports over 3,000 businesses who derive the majority of their income from overnight and daytrip visitors.

Strongly backed by the government, multiple projects have been put into place to further Gippsland’s visitor economy. This includes the $48 million upgrade of the Philip Island Nature Park, the $30 million Latrobe Creative Arts Precinct and the $13.9 million West Gippsland Arts Centre.

General purpose artificial intelligence technologies such as ChatGPT, are quickly transforming the way AI systems are built and deployed.

While these technologies are expected to brin benefits in the coming year, their disruptive nature raises questions around privacy and intellectual property rights, liability and accountability, and concerns about the potential to spread disinformation and misinformation.